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If you’ve made the decision to cloth diaper, using cloth wipes is a no brainer. But even if you use disposables, this quick no-sew cloth wipes project can save you a good chunk of change on baby wipes. Done with diapers? Congratulations! These are still amazing and frugal as DIY reusable tissues, face wipes, and wet wipes for big kids (and grownups, too)! Grab your extra receiving blankets or worn out cotton clothes. Lemme show you how to make the easiest no-sew cloth wipes and tissues!
You will need
Receiving blankets, old flannel pj pants, shirts, or other cotton clothes
Pinking shears – the zig zaggy ones
A ruler or measuring tape
You’ll want to choose a fabric that has a soft texture with a substantial weight, like flannel. Flimsy cloth won’t work so well here. The dozen extra receiving blankets you somehow acquired are perfect for this project. And those jammie pants with a hole in the crotch work great, too. The idea is that it should be soft enough for tender bottoms and noses, but with a bit of “grip” to wipe off messes.
If you cloth diaper (or plan to) and you are washing diapers anyway, there is almost zero extra work to use cloth wipes. You simply throw them in the pail with the diapers and launder as usual. If you use disposables, this system can still work great for you and save you some cash on baby wipes! Stock a stack of these gems at your changing table with a bottle of solution (recipe coming next week!) or water and toss them in an open pail or wet bag. I use these from Planet Wise. You can launder them with your dirty towels or dish cloths. Just make sure to give them a little dunk in the toilet if they’ve scooped off quite a bit of *ahem* solids. If you are super skeeved out by touching poop, then just commit to using these for number ones. Any reduction in your consumption of single-use disposable products will make a difference in your environmental impact and your pocket book!
Why you’d want to
Not all baby wipes are created equal. “Traditional wipes” can be packed full of nasty stuff including formaldehyde-producing preservatives. And what you see on the label isn’t always what you get because many of the ingredients are susceptible to contamination from the manufacturing process. Baby wipes frequently contain “fragrance” which is troubling because manufacturers are not required to disclose their ingredients. Which means beside allergens and irritants, they could include endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, and phthalates. Not cool. And the wipes themselves are generally made of fine woven plastic. (This is a great article if you want to know more about what’s really in many wipes.)
Fortunately, there are a few great products out there that I feel comfortable getting up close and personal with. While it’s completely possible to take your cloth wipes on the road, I will admit that I usually opt for a pack of natural, plant-based wipes in my diaper bag. My favorite brands are The Honest Company, Water Wipes, and Hello Bello. If you’re curious about the safety profile of your baby wipes, plug it into the EWG Skin Deep database, a helpful resource which helps consumers decipher ingredients in personal care products.
Alright then let’s get to it
So, if you’re using receiving blankets for your no-sew cloth wipes or tissues, lay your fabric out flat and then fold it in half. Fold in half again to make a skinny rectangle. Now fold the long strip into thirds. This will give you 12 squarish wipes of about 8 or 9 inches. It doesn’t need to be exact, but this is a good size for getting the job done. Cut along all the folds with a pair of sharp pinking shears.
If you’re using pants, a shirt, or some other clothing, cut along the seams so that your material can lie flat. Again we are aiming for a square of approximately 8 or 9 inches. When you get to the top of the pants or shirt and you kinda run out of material for the full size wipes, walk away! Cutting out teeny little squares will not be very useful to you. (And will not protect your hands from mess!) I was able to get about a dozen wipes out of a pair of women’s flannel pants.
What about the edges?!
Just leave them. Seriously! The zig zag of the pinking shears is what enables this project to be “no-sew” because it limits the amount of fraying on the edges. The first few times you wash them they will string a bit. Simply discard the threads and remember to clear your dryer lint trap. They will stop fraying after a few cycles. I’ve been using my initial set of no-sew cloth wipes for over 4 years and they have held up amazingly well!
To use
The wipes work best with a bit of moisture. Plain water is ok, but a solution with a little plant based oil and gentle soap is even better. You just spray or dab on the solution and wipe away! There are plenty of wipes solution to buy, but I have never used any of them. I’ve always made my own using this simple recipe.
How to store
I keep mine in little baskets around the house and at the changing table. Anywhere you’d keep tissues or wipes! I especially like them in the kitchen to wipe sticky hands and faces. Some people fold them kinda accordion style, so that they pull out of a tissue or wipes box, which sounds awesome, but very time consuming. For me, a clean stack is about all I can manage.
Why it’s frugal
The “good” natural plant-based wipes aren’t super cheap. Let’s say you use an average of 3 or 4 packages a month. Depending on which brand you choose, you’ll throw away about $160/a year! Over say 3 years of diapering equals $480 per kiddo. Yikes.
Now, if you replace your household boxes of Kleenex with lovely baskets of reusable no-sew tissues, you could save about another $48 every year. Since you likely have some suitable material lurking in the bottom of your drawer, or lying in that pile in your closet that you’ve been meaning to take to Goodwill, this project could potentially cost you nothing but 10 minutes!
No-Sew Cloth Wipes and Tissues
These no-sew cloth wipes are amazing and frugal as baby wipes, tissues, face wipes, and wet wipes for big kids (and grownups, too)! Grab your extra receiving blankets or worn out cotton clothes. Lemme show you how to DIY the easiest no-sew cloth wipes and tissues!
Materials
- receiving blankets, worn out flannel pants or shirts, or other medium weight cotton cloth
Tools
- pinking shears
- ruler or measuring tape
Instructions
- Lay the receiving blanket out flat and then fold in half. Fold in half again to make a skinny rectangle. Now fold the long strip in thirds. This will give you 12 squarish wipes of about 8 or 9 inches.
- Cut along all the folds with a pair of sharp pinking shears.
For pants, shirts, etc:
- Cut along the seams so that your material can lie flat.
- Using your tape measure or ruler, mark out a square of approximately 8 or 9 inches. Cut with pinking shears. Now you can use this wipe as a guide to cut out the rest of the squares. Don’t worry too much about getting it perfect.
Notes
Wash and dry your new wipes and expect a bit of fraying the first few times. Simply pull off and discard the strings- this will stop after a few washes.
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Give it a shot and for more tips and tricks, check out my video tutorial!
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love it ! keep them coming
Thank you!
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